Gerard's pov*

I didn't go back to sleep when Frank took me back to our room.. I quite often don't, after one of my terrors.. I usually listen to music instead.
I shouldn't really call it OUR room, should I?.. After all, it's not like I'll be staying here that long.. They'll get sick of me soon enough.
I don't understand Frank!.. One minute he hates me and locks me out of his room, and the next, he's waking me from my nightmares, telling me everything's alright, and taking me back upstairs.... I just don't get it.
Plugging my earbuds into my ears, I blasted a bit of Pumpkins, and tried to forget the horrors that had me screaming the place down.
They're not easy to forget.. But I have to try.
I lay curled up under my blankets with my eyes tight shut. I've always been afraid of the dark, and it only gets worse after a terror, and in a new place.. Which it feels like is practically every night.
Frank was snoring quietly across the room, I could hear him in between songs.. At least ONE of us can sleep.
After what felt like a thousand hours, Frank's alarm went off to signal that we needed to get up for school.. Hurray!.. NOT!!
Frank left the room without even looking my way.. Guess he hates me again.
There's no point in my going downstairs yet, he just went for breakfast. Climbing stiffly out of bed, I stretched and yawned, then walked into our little en-suite bathroom.
I turned on the shower and avoided the mirror like it's got the plague.. It's got my face in it, so it might as well have.. then quickly brushed my teeth as I waited for the shower to heat up. Once it's almost scaldingly hot, I stripped off my jeans, boxers and t-shirt that I "slept" in last night, and stepped under the spray.
My hair felt greasy, so I grabbed a bottle of mango scented shampoo off the little shelf in the corner, and squirted some onto my head, before lathering it up for a good couple minutes.
When I stuck my head back under the water, some of the soap went in my eyes "AHHH" I screamed as my eyes burned.. What did they put IN that stuff?.. Battery acid?
Suddenly the bathroom door flew open, and a panicked looking Frank charged in "What's wrong? What happened?" He said quickly, as I tried to cover myself while still attempting to save myself from blindness. Both efforts seemed ineffective.
Frank quickly realised two things.. A: that I'd screamed because I'd gotten soap in my eye. And B: that I was naked!! "Oh shit!.. Err.. Sorry.. I'll.. Err... Bye!" Then he turned and left the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
I think we need a lock.
Once I'd regained my sight, finished washing my hair.. that could actually do with a cut right now.. and scrubbed every inch of my skin til it was sore, I turned off the water, grabbed a large red towel from the rack and dried myself off, before wrapping the towel around myself and stepping gingerly back into the bedroom.
Frank was sat, cross-legged on his bed, reading a comic book. He looked up at me.. I HOPE he didn't see my scars.. there was a slight blush on his cheeks, or I could've just imagined it "You finished in there?" He pointed at the bathroom. I nodded. Frank put down his comic, got off his bed, and disappeared into the bathroom without another word, slamming the door behind him.
I took a deep, steadying breath. If he saw them, he didn't react!
They're not ALL self inflicted, though some are.. please don't judge?.. But most were given to me by various foster brothers, sisters, and in a FEW cases- foster PARENTS!
And you wonder why I'm so screwed up?!
Sighing dramatically, I took off the towel and quickly dressed in a pair of batman boxers, black socks, black skinny jeans, that could almost be called baggies on me, a plain black t-shirt, and a black hoodie with a picture of Jack Skellington on the front.
Colour is not my friend!!
Frank was still in the bathroom, but the water just shut off, so I'm guessing he'd gotten out of the shower.
I quickly grabbed my things for school, and left the room, slipping silently down the stairs.
I could hear Linda singing in the kitchen. It made me smile.
I put my bag on the sofa, and sat down, cuddling a throw cushion to my chest.
After a couple minutes, Frank came bounding down the stairs, dressed, with his bag on his shoulder. He ignored me, and ran into the kitchen.
I couldn't hear EVERYTHING they were saying to each other, but Frank didn't sound too happy "No mum!... Why should I?... But I don't wanna!.." He pushed back out of the kitchen, Linda right behind him. His eyes landed on me, and I'm pretty sure that if looks could kill, I'd be gutted, skinned, turned inside out and thrown to the sharks.. Right then.. I knew he wanted me dead ".. Get up!.." He growled. I made some sort of an embarrassing whimpering noise, grabbed my bag and stood up, looking nervously between them ".. Mum says we gotta walk to school today.. And I gotta take you.. So move" He pointed to the front door.
"Frank Anthony Iero!.." Linda barked ".. I TOLD you to be NICE!.."
Frank shrugged and headed out the door.
I felt my lip start to wobble, and bit down on it, taking a few deep breaths as I followed him outside
".. Gerard?.." I turned back to Linda, my first tears of the day slipping down my cheeks ".. He really WILL come around!.. Just give him time" She smiled, sadly.
I nodded, unconvinced, and left the house.
Frank was already halfway down the road, striding away to put as much distance between us as possible.
My shoulders slumped, and I followed after him, but I made no attempt to catch up to him.
It took us about ten minutes to get to school, and Frank quickly disappeared into the crowd.
Along the way I'd dried my eyes, but I thought it best to check in the dreaded bathroom mirror, and get a few tissues for the day while I was there.
There was still twenty minutes till homeroom, so I headed into the bathroom just opposite my locker, and peered at myself in the mirror.. Just as I suspected.. I looked dead!
My skin was pale, my reddened eyes, sunken and circled with dark rings, and if I didn't get a haircut soon, I'd be able to braid it!
FUCK!.. I'm a mess.
Turning on the cold faucet, I splashed my face a few times, then dried off with a paper towel.. dropping it on the floor afterward, as it seemed that some little idiot had decided to steal the trash can.. Then grabbed some tissues for later, cos I knew I'd need them, then left the bathroom.
The corridor was quiet. Apparently everyone had headed to homeroom already.
I hurried toward the back hallway, where mine and Frank's classroom is.
As I skidded around the corner, my shoes sliding on the freshly washed linoleum, my heart leapt into my throat as I crashed straight into none other that Jason Walters.. the asshole I'd had a run in with just yesterday.
Suddenly, before I could even get my feet beneath me and moving, Jason and two of his evil minions had me slammed onto the ground, and were basically kicking the shit out of me.. Not that I'm not USED to it of course, but I WOULD rather be anywhere but there!
I was curled up in a ball, with my knees to my chest and my arms wrapped protectively around my head as heavy blows came from three sides.
My vision kept on blurring out, and my hearing was slipping too.. Shit!.. I was gonna pass out!
Out of nowhere, probably from around the corner, though I didn't see them arrive, a figure appeared behind Jason and kicked him in the back of the knee, sending him to the floor with a startled yelp. The other two stopped their assault on me, to turn and check on Jason.
The figure.. who I now saw was actually Frank.. grabbed my hand and dragged me to my feet, before forcing me into a run.
My vision was still wobbly, but my legs seemed to work ok, so I ran with him, unsure where we were going, cos it CERTAINLY wasn't toward homeroom.
Eventually, we got to the back sports field, and collapsed, panting on the grass.
After a minute, just laying there trying to remember how to breath, I realised that my hand was still in Frank's. Blushing slightly, I pulled it free and sat up.
Frank sat up and stared at me.. I couldn't read his expression.
Awkward, silent minutes stretched out.....and then the bell for first period rang, breaking us from whatever trance state we'd fallen into.
I jumped slightly at the intrusive noise, and frowned, then pushed myself up onto my feet and turned toward the school. I took two steps away from where Frank remained, sat on the grass, and turned to look back at him "Thank you" I whispered, then turned and walked away..

Notes

Hi there chipmunks.. GeesCLUELESSgirl here!..

Poor confused Gee, and Frankie to the rescue... YEY!

Please comment, stay safe, and peace out babies!
<3